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We'll move the earth for a title!Tue, 03 Mar 2015 18:18:08 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.1Here Comes the 2010-11 NBA Season!http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/26/here-comes-the-2010-11-nba-season/
http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/26/here-comes-the-2010-11-nba-season/#commentsTue, 26 Oct 2010 07:30:18 +0000http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/?p=1774With the 2010-11 NBA season here I was reflecting back on all the posts I intended to pen before today. I decided to compile the answers I provided for the ESPN.com Summer Forecast (if you missed it or simply want to take a lap around the summer pool for a refresher, click on this link and follow the links on the sidebar for the other sets of predictions). I do not get to write about the league as a whole as much as I would like and this is my chance to dazzle you all with my significant knowledge of teams other than the Nuggets. Or not. Well, here we go anyway.

2010-11 Predicted Records – West

Team

Record

Division

Conference

Los Angeles Lakers

55-27

1

1

The Lakers are the team to beat, but a year later and after winning consecutive titles, will they be healthy and hungry enough to return to the finals for the fourth straight season?

Oklahoma City Thunder

54-28

1

2

I am a big believer in Kevin Durant. He showed progress in his passing, rebounding and all around stud-ness in the World Championships. I have heard that the top players will not be completely healthy again, but why not? They are all young and durable.

Dallas Mavericks

53-29

1

3

You know what you are going to get from the Mavs. An impressive regular season and a postseason that is less so.

Portland Trail Blazers

53-29

2

4

Even when they are battling injuries left and right they win 50. Just a solid team, but I have a hunch that We have already seen Brandon Roy’s career year in 2008-09.

Denver Nuggets

52-30

3

5

This was my prediction over the summer when I still thought Melo would take the money and stay in what is clearly the location that gives him the best chance to win. Obviously, my opinoin has changed since then. It is impossible to predict Denver’s record as we do not know when Melo gets traded. I suspect he is dealt soon after December 15 giving them a couple of months to be good and four more to be bad, my prediction is 40-42

San Antonio Spurs

52-30

2

6

I expect a nice contract season from Parker and as long as Parker, Ginobili and Duncan are all reasonably healthy, this team will win 50.

Houston Rockets

51-31

3

7

I love the way Houston plays and that is thanks to Rick Adelman who preaches team defense and ball movement. I expect Yao to make an impact, but I am not sure if simply cutting his minutes down will keep the big man upright for the playoffs.

Utah Jazz

50-32

4

8

The Jazz will win, there is no doubt, but they need to be careful what they wish for in acquiring big Al Jefferson. The offense is predicated on earning easy baskets through executing their flawless system of screens and cuts. Jefferson might gets some easy looks for himself, but could they come at the expense of the plethorea of easy shots for the many?

New Orleans Hornets

44-38

4

9

A healthy Chris Paul makes New Orleans a tough out, but this team peaked three seasons ago, and Paul knows it. Some may recall that after Kenyon Martin rendered David West impotent in the 2009 playoffs I proclaimed West would never again be an All-Star. I think at this point we can call that one good.

Memphis Grizzlies

43-39

5

10

The Grizzlies are a much imporved team, probably better than either of their two playoff seasons with Pau, but they are not a playoff team and they are pretty well locked into the current roster for the forseeable future, that is if they can keep Marc Gasol from fleeing for greener pastures.

Phoenix Suns

42-40

2

11

I was broken hearted seeing Steve Nash in tears following the Suns loss in the Western Conference Finals last spring. My heart breaks for him again realizing he needs to get out of Phoenix if that is not going to be his last shot at a title and knowing he is not going to tap out. Let me be the first to call for him to be dealt to Orlando for Jameer Nelson and cap filler.

Los Angeles Clippers

37-45

3

12

How good can Blake Griffin make this team? Hopefully he can stay healthy so we can find out.

Sacramento Kings

35-47

4

13

I like what is going on in Sacramento. Two tremndous young players and plenty of financial felxibility. Can we please get them a new staduim? Even if it is 30 miles away like Auburn Hills to Detroit. My vote is for Dixon. Sounds like a nice place.

Golden State Warriors

34-48

5

14

With Don Nelson now gone I am afraid we may have lost our late night League Pass buddies. The Warriors were always fun to watch fall behind by 20 at home to the Sixers or Kings and then roar back as the arena erupted. Then again, with some (hopefully) competent leadership now in place, maybe the Warriors will be entertaining for being competitive every night.

Minnesota Timberwolves

22-60

5

15

So bad. Yes Kahn is collecting some talent, but not talent that fits together. Now the light at the end of the tunnel, the arrival of Ricky Rubio, has dimmed considerably. With Rubio’s recent struggles for all to see at the worlds that light might just be a lantern hanging on the wall instead of the sweet caress of daylight.

2010-11 Predicted Records – East

Miami Heat

59-23

1

1

Injuries are already pecking away at this team, and it has to be somewhat of a red light that the big two and a half have played something like three minutes together in the preseason due to various bumps and strains. Wade does not have the history of an iron horse and Bosh has had some injury struggles in Toronto. Still, as long as these guys play together for 65 games, they are going to win 50 of them and as long as two of them are on the floor together they should still be pretty darn good.

Orlando Magic

59-23

2

2

The Magic are as good as ever and despite missing chances to focus solely on his game after filming a movie in China with Carmelo and skipping the worlds Dwight Howard is still a force unlike any other. Did I mention these guys should pursue Steve Nash after the Suns start out 5-10?

Chicago Bulls

52-30

3

1

The Bulls are the team I pick to take the bigget step forward outside of teams who signed LeBron James. I anticiapte a big season from Derrick Rose and Boozer is a great addition for what the Bulls have been lacking. I also like the signing of Kyle Korver. Add in some defensive improvement thanks to the mastermind that is Tom Thibodeau.

Boston Celtics

50-32

1

4

The Celtics are the new Spurs. They may take a couple of embarrassing shellackings during the regular season and you will want to write them off a couple of times, but they will win 50 and be a factor in the playoffs.

Milwaukee Bucks

50-32

2

5

How long before Skiles burns these guys out? With some fresh blood and some improvement from the group of young bucks who are back for more I do not think it will be this season. Winning makes it easier to accept what the coach is pushing and I expect the Bucks to win quite a bit. All you need to know about Milwaukee you saw in their win at the Pepsi Center last season. After pulling out an overtime win in Sacramento they rolled into town on the dreaded Pacific time to Mountain time overnight treck, the scenario that typically guarantees the Nuggets a W, and outplayed the Nuggets from start to finish.

Atlanta Hawks

48-34

3

6

Rougly the same bunch as last season. Likely a similar reasult.

Washington Wizards

44-38

4

7

When I made this prediction, I was looking forward to a backcourt of Gilbert Arenas and John Wall simply demolishing teams on the offesnive end of the court. Not sure that is going to happen after Arenas’ shaky preseason and injury concerns plaging him into the regular season.

New York Knickerbockers

41-41

2

8

The Kncks will be better just not very much better. Amare is a great talent, but I epxect a drop off in his efficiency without Nash and the three point gunners that surrounded him earning him easy looks whenever he wanted them. I do not think Knicks fans are going to be overly excited about their team come January.

Charlotte Bobcats

35-47

5

9

Love the way they play, but they are a point guard away from being a tough palyoff team. I still think they make sense as a destination for Chauncey after the Nuggets cut bait on Melo.

New Jersey Nets

32-50

3

10

The Nets are a team that would have been better off sitting out free agency and preserving their cap space. They are in short term digs in Newark and while no one likes to see a team struggle so badly, are they really better off with the money and long term deals they dished out in the summer? It does not make them much better and might handcuff them financially in a year or two when they are searching for one final piece to build a contender.

Indiana Pacers

31-51

11

1

Not much you can say about the Pacers. Bland and so mediocre. At least they are finally going to have some payroll flexibility after this season.

Detroit Pistons

30-52

4

12

I cannot blame Joe Dumars for trying to rebuild the Pistons when he did. He just did a horrible job executing it. So many bad decisions. I believe I could make a pretty good argument Dumars has been worse than Kahn the past couple of years.

Philadelphia 76ers

30-52

4

13

Elton Brand is a shadow of his former self. Andre Iggoudala is a complimentary player forced to be an alpha dog. Not sure why Doug Collins was brought in and now the number two pick in the draft and the biggest reason for hope amongst Sixer fans is looking like a bit of a bust. At least Jrue Holiday looks like a nice player.

Cleveland Cavaliers

27-55

5

14

Ugh. How did LeBron make this bunch look so good? I loved J.J. Hickson on draft night and I like him more now. He is going to be solid so at least they have one piece to build around.

Toronto Raptors

24-58

5

15

Double Ugh. What an ugly roster. Good thing Canadians are mild mannered.

In addition to regular season records there were a number of other categories we were asked to project.

Category

Answer

Rookie of the Year

DeMarcus Cousins

Cousins is going to be a double-double machine from the second he steps on the court. He has great touch around the rim and has displayed some nice touch from the perimeter. To be honest, if Blake Griffin is healthy he will probably be the pick, but I am not going to bank on Griffin being healthy any more than on Josh McDaniels.

Best Newcomer

LeBron James

Even without Bosh LeBron with Wade makes Miami a contender. How can you not be intrigued, good or bad, by how Miami’s season goes?

Worst Newcomer

Hedo Turkoglu

Toronto fans were practiclaly gouging their eyes out whenver he took the court. I love Nash as much as anyone, but if he can make Turkoglu look anything close to a player equal to his contract we should give him some kind of basketball Nobel prize. I expect to see Suns fans as disappointed in Turk as Toronto fans were and I am not talking two years from now.

Returning Player Most Want to See

Blake Griffin

He can rebound, score, pass and throw down like few others in the league. I pray he stays healthy for at least one season to see what he can accomplish. At one time I wrote that Griffin looked like a stud simply because of the caliber of the other draft picks in his class was so low. Boy was I wrong. This guy is a unique talent.

MVP

Kevin Durant

LeBron can act indignant all he wants. No one cares more than Durant and if he takes as big of a step as I believe he will, and we saw glimpses of what he can do in Turkey, I cannot wait to see how amazing he can be.

Team Turmoil

Denver Nuggets

Even though when I made this prediction I expected Melo to remain a Nugget, I expected the constant questions to weigh the team down. Now it looks like Denver is poised to take the biggest plunge out of any team in the West. I cannot imagine keeping Chauncey around once Melo is dealt and from there the ground is the limit.

Team Turnaround

Chicago Bulls

I already wrote about how I love the Bull’s offseason additions, both on the court and on off. Even with Boozer out with an owie pinky I expect the Bulls to do well.

Best Management Change

Golden State Warriors

Following up the previous regime in Golden State is like following William Hung on American Idol.

Worst Management Change

New Jersey Nets

Mikhail Prokhorov sounds like fun, but Billy King? Really? I bet King was bummed he was not able to pry Willie Green from the Sixers.

Best Coaching Change

Chicago Bulls

My pro-Bulls bent continues. The history of assistant coaches who are specialists on the defensive end is not great, but I think with the Bulls offensive talent if Thibodeau can get them playing good, defense the Bulls will be in great shape.

Worst Coaching Change

Los Angeles Clippers

Vinny Del Negro may not have been quite the disaster he was made out to be, but was anyone sad to see him go? Even so, not sure why he got a second chance to quickly.

Best Free Agent Signing

Bulls – Carlos Boozer

Boozer has his limitations, but with the track record of big time free agent signing what it is, and by that I mean not good, this one is both a decent value and fit.

Worst Free Agent Signing

Knicks – Amare Stoudemire

Amare is a force, but he does not rebound, nor does he play defense. He is not the corner stone of a championship team, but he is paid like one and with no other top notch free agents he is thought to be one by default. With his injury history I think the Knicks are going to deeply regret this signing in a couple of seasons.

Whose Team is the Heat

Dwyane Wade’s team

The Heat are 100% Dwyane Wade’s team. LeBron proved he did not want his own team. Once you give that up, you do not get it back, ask Roy Tarpley. Also, Wade and Haslem were just voted captains. It is not like there were a lot of holdovers from the old Heat roster who could override the new guys. Haslem simply earned more votes than LeBron. If there are going to be chemistry issues you can start with the vote for captains.

Will LeBron Average a Triple Double

Absolutely not

If he could not do it in Cleveland when he was the only playmaker on the team how will he do it in Miami with Wade eating up his passing opportunities? I am also not sold he will feel the need to mix things up inside night in and night out to averrage double digit boards.

Most Wins for Miami in a Season

65-69

What are the chances they get board with the regular season? Probably equal to the chances Blake Griffin gets injured, the Pacers end up being wildly mediocre and David Kahn does something that makes us all scratch our heads.

Titles for the Heat

2

Someone, somewhere will rise up to challenge these guys although that team will not feature a frontcourt of Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. It probably will feature Kevin Durant.

Heat: Good for the NBA or Bad

Bad for the NBA

Everyone loves to hate somebody, and the Heat give NBA fans that fix. Plus there is a great deal of attention on the league this season to see how the Heat do. However, if this leads to a new era of two or three or four super teams battling it out in the finals the regular season becomes meaningless along with the other 26 teams in the league. If there were any Bobcats fans, they would know what I am talking about.

Will There be a Lockout

Yes

I voted for the option that read: Lockout all of 2011-12 and postseason. I was at the peak of pessimissm when I answered this question. Chris Sheridan made a compelling case why the league and players will reach a compromise early next summer, primarily with the NFL facing the same issues David Stern will not lose a chance to eat into their market share should sports fans be without pro football next fall. Still, I expect some games to be missed because of the state of the economy and the fact the owners are going to demand one of the three big concessions, a one third reduction in salary and benefits, a hard cap and non guarnateed contracts, they have demanded early on in the nogotiations. I cannot see the union agreeign to any of those, while the owners have the biggest stick in negotiations. It could, and probably will, get ugly.

Melo’s team in 2011-12

Denver Nuggets

Obviously I was dead wrong. An indescribable surge of optimism must have overtaken me.

Chris Paul’s team in 2012-13

Dallas Mavericks

I played a hunch here, but a few weeks later, here is my rationale. With Melo in New Jersey and Amare fighting injuries I think Mark Cuban finally pulls off a big deal and lands a superstar to run with Dirk as his career winds down.

East Champion

Miami Heat

In the NBA you need to get scoring out of your wing players to win. Who can else can throw atheltic defenders like Wade and LeBron at opposing twos and threes? They are weak in the middle, but with talent like this, you can win without stellar bigs.

West Champion

Oklahoma Cith

Most people are dismissing the Thunder this season. My point of view is look at what a difficult series they gave the Lakers last season. I do not think the Lakers are going to be better this season because Kobe is wearing down. I do think the Thunder will be better and I expect them to prove it. We saw how Carmelo Anthony was able to figure out how to score on a defender after getting enough chances at him. Early in Carmelo’s career Bruce Bowen gave him fits. After matching up against him in a playoff series, Melo absolutely owned Bowen. I believe Durant is capable of learning how to score on a tough defender in Artest as Melo did with Bowen. Maybe this is wishful thinking as I am hoping and praying that Durant fills the role of foil for the Heat, but I honestly beleive he is not far away.

NBA Champion

Miami Heat

The Thunder may be able to get past the Lakers, but not the Heat. This version of the Heat is not going to be their best team. As John Hollinger pointed out a few weeks ago. They will be able to add more players every year. Even so, this is the perfect time for Miami to put this team together. I think Boston and the Lakers will take a step back, while teams like the Bulls and Thunder are not quite there yet. Orlando will be the biggest challenger, but I do not think they will be able to score with LeBron and Wade hounding Vince Carter and the other perimeter scorers the Magic possess.

Player of the Decade

Kevin Durant

Durant is 22 and already one of the best two or three players in the NBA. He loves the game and is going to work his tail off every season to get better. LeBron may be upset about everything people are saying and tweeting about him, but until he proves it in the offseason and starts adding to his game I will be dubious of how much he really wants to dominate.

Team of the Decade

Oklahoma City Thunder

I expect the Thunder to be one of the top four teams in the NBA this season along with the Heat, Magic and Lakers. They still have cap flexibility and players are going to want to play with the core they have in place. I think we could have a replay of the Celtics and Lakers in the Thunder and Heat. I give the Thunder the edge because of youth, health and Durant.

I am bullish on the Bulls and Kevin Durant. I believe he is a special player that only comes along every few years who is not only talented, but driven and possessing a killer instinct that allows him to will his team to victory. I cannot wait to see how good Durant is in five years considering how special he is now.

If you are looking for some more up to date Nuggets coverage from a season preview standpoint, you can check out this post. Due to the unknown future of Carmelo Anthony it is almost silly to try to preview this season from a team standpoint so I did not do my regular preview type post. You can read my submission to Celtics Blog’s season preview series here.

Andrew over at Denver Stiffs took the time to rank all 30 teams by conference as well. You can check out his list here.

By the way, can we get some more Nuggets blogs out there? Obviously I do a great job of covering the team (tongue pressed firmly in cheek) and Denver Stiffs is a very good fan site. Aside from that there are only two Nuggets blogs which are kept updated, Nugg Love and the Nugg Doctor. If you know of a consistently updated Nuggets blog, please let me know about it.

And of course, we cannot complete any post without doing our part to feed the Carmelo Anthony media frenzy. I answered a couple of Carmelo Anthony questions for Rahat over at the TrueHoop Network Rockets blog Red94.net.

The season is upon us and I doubt there will be a dull moment for Nuggets fans. You can look forward to a season full of Daily Dime Live, game recaps, more Carmelo trade rumors and we are adding a couple more writers to help keep the coverage flowing. Thanks for reading and gird your loins for a bumpy ride.

Before we go, here is one last set of links in the Celtics Blog season preview series for the Southwest Division:

]]>http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/26/here-comes-the-2010-11-nba-season/feed/5Getting Carmelo, the Nuggets and Knicks What They All Wanthttp://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/22/carmelo-anthony-new-york-knicks/
http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/22/carmelo-anthony-new-york-knicks/#commentsFri, 22 Oct 2010 07:45:17 +0000http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/?p=1759The Indian Summer of Carmelo is certainly looking as if it could drag well into the winter at which point I will have to come up with a different name for it. We have studied potential trade partners, what location gives Carmelo the best opportunity to win and how the Nuggets are hoping to convince Carmelo to stay as the season is drawing ever closer. We have wasted hours of our lives dwelling on something that has not even happened and I know most everyone is burned out by it.

For all the pixels that have been pushed to the brink of burning out from all the multitude of words that have been written about Carmelo’s future I have a hair brained scheme that I believe has not appeared on anyone’s screen up till now. I have a plan to land Carmelo Anthony a boat full of cash, allow the Nuggets to keep him in Denver for the entirety of 2010-11 to see how far this team can go and then Melo will have the freedom to sign with whomever he pleases when the NBA returns to action.

In order for this plan to work Denver would have to resist the urge to trade Carmelo during the season, Carmelo would have to kiss his three year, $65 million extension goodbye and the NBA will have to lockout the players come July 1, 2011. Sounds simple enough right?

The key to this little scheme is the lockout. With the NBA publicly announcing the position that the owners are seeking to reduce player expenditures by one third in the new CBA, I think we can bank on there being a lockout next July. This would seem to be bad news for the players. However, it is not bad for players who are not under contract when the lockout commences.

If Carmelo Anthony does not sign an extension and then exercises his early termination option following the season he is not under contract and would be eligible to play basketball somewhere other than the NBA. Enter Europe.

There have been musings about NBA stars being offered huge paydays to play in Europe. Kobe once said he would play in Europe for $50 million, not that anyone was offering him that. Shaw apparently shopped his wares around Europe this summer hoping to land an eight figure deal. Heck, we have seen Linas Kleiza paid $6 million to play in Greece for a season. If he is locked out of the NBA and is free to play anywhere, how much money could Carmelo demand if he put himself up to the highest bidder?

If Linas Kleiza is worth $6 million, wouldn’t Carmelo be worth far more? European teams have proven they will pay over a player’s NBA market value. If Melo’s value in the NBA is $18 million how much more could he make in Europe? $20 million? $25 million? More?

However much Melo would make I am sure it would more than bridge the gap between how much he looses by passing on the extension and the undoubtedly significant amount he will sign for under the new CBA.

Carmelo, and his reps, get paid. Denver gets to keep their franchise player for a full season and see how far a team built to win now can go without worrying about when Melo will be traded. Once the lockout is over, Carmelo can sign with New York without worrying about the Knicks gutting their roster to acquire him.

Melo would undoubtedly need to walk once the lockout is over, however, the last lockout in 1998-99 drug on into January and games did not begin until February and that was during a time when the economy was not in shambles. How much longer could this lockout last? Undoubtedly any team that signs him might lose him for the playoffs, but they will certainly get their money out of him.

Of course, I have an ulterior motive. With Melo playing in Spain, Italy or Greece hopefully I can get ESPN to send me overseas to cover his exploits giving me something to write about during the down time of a lockout.

It simply makes too much sense not to happen.

An Infusion or New Blood

I am very proud to announce the addition of two new writers to Roundball Mining Company. David Starcer is a journalism student at Colorado University and he will be helping me cover the Nuggets during the season. David covered the Buffaloes for the CU Independent with a focus on Men’s basketball.

Roger Brown is an former colleague of mine who resides in Boise. He will utilize his unique outlook on life as he covers the Nuggets D-League affiliate Idaho Stampede.

I expect both of these fine men to be a great addition to RMC and it should alleviate those breaks that have arisen here and there when I get a little too bogged down with life to post consistently. I happily offer a laurel, and hardy handshake to David and Roger.

(Warning, wildly inappropriate use of a certain racial epithet.)

More Season Previews

The CelticsBlog season preview-paloza rolls on with the Southeast Division now complete.

]]>http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/22/carmelo-anthony-new-york-knicks/feed/8Northwest Division in the Spotlighthttp://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/14/northwest-division-in-the-spotlight/
http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/14/northwest-division-in-the-spotlight/#commentsThu, 14 Oct 2010 06:53:47 +0000http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/?p=1739The Northwest Division was recently featured in the annual CelticsBlog season preview smörgåsbord and you can peruse the various posts from the list of links below:

How will Big Al fit in out in Utah? Will the Blazers stay healthy? Will Melo still be a Nugget on opening night? Can the Thunder avoid a sophomore slump? Just what is the plan in ‘Sota? All this and more in the Northwest previews.

Daily Dime Live also spent a day on the Northwest where the consensus was that it will be probably the toughest division in the league, as least as long as Melo dons the garb of the Nuggets, and the Thunder are getting a little too much hype, a statement I do not agree with. You can follow all the heavy hitting analysis right here.

Sorry for my lack of posts recently, but I am working on a research intensive post which requires me to watch a lot of film. I think it will be well worth the wait. I also have the long promised defensive scouting report of Al Harrington waiting in the queue so look for that soon as well.

]]>http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/14/northwest-division-in-the-spotlight/feed/3A Pre-Season Season Previewhttp://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/05/a-pre-season-season-preview/
http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/05/a-pre-season-season-preview/#commentsTue, 05 Oct 2010 06:08:19 +0000http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/?p=1728Below you will find my submission for this year’s Celtics Blog preview-palooza. It is a little silly to write a season preview seeing as how we have no idea what will happen with Carmelo. Regardless, it was fun to write and I recommend you head over to Celtics Blog to read the other Nuggets previews (update: the Nuggets previews have not been posted as of yet so keep checking back). Up-update: links tothe other Nuggets previews from Nate at Denver Stiffs and the Nugg Doctor are posted.

What significant moves were made during the off-season? The primary change over the summer in Denver was an overhaul of the front office. Out is 2008-09 Executive of the Year Mark Warkentien and Rex Chapman. Enter former Toronto Assistant General Manager Masai Ujiri. There is also a change at the top. Stan Kroenke has purchased a majority interest in the St. Louis Rams and as a result had to turn over control of the Nuggets. His choice was Josh Kroenke. You may have noticed they have the same last name and that is no coincidence. Josh is Stan’s son. Before you get too concerned about the potential pitfalls of nepotism, Kroenke the Younger is not some nitwit who has been lying out by the pool all his life. He played division one basketball at Missouri and has been in training for a font office position over the previous three years. Advisor Bret Bearup remains an important part of the management team and he has likely seen his influence increase with the departure of Warkentien.

The new triumvirate of Ujiri, Bearup and Kroenke has been thrown into the fire thanks to the other big development of the summer which is the non-demand trade demand from Carmelo Anthony. How the trio deals with Anthony’s desire to play in a major market will go a long way towards defining their tenure with the Nuggets.

What are the team’s biggest strengths? If it were not for Carmelo’s desire to play elsewhere, I would say cohesion. Clearly, that will not be the case. With Melo’s status very much up in the air I suppose I will say the biggest strength for the Nuggets is payroll flexibility. The front office has been seeking a trade that will bring back a young stud, some draft picks and expiring contracts. The fourth piece they are looking for is a player who can step in and produce at the small forward position. That is why there was the flirtation with Andrei Kirilenko and Andre Igoudala. The Nuggets seem to be getting a little too greedy and as a result may have lost their best shot at pulling off a trade which would bring them all four of their goals when the four team deal fell apart.

I still believe when push comes to shove the Nuggets will make a trade featuring expiring contracts, which will give them tremendous payroll flexibility entering the unknown world of the new CBA. Carmelo will be gone. Kenyon Martin’s massive contract expires after this season. Chauncey Billups can be bought out for $3.7 million and Nene has an early termination option after this season as well. Denver could very well enter the era ushered in by the new CBA with a pared down payroll and a handful of decent young players. With everything on the table from decreased player salaries, decreased length of contracts, and maybe even a hard cap, Denver could be in a great situation going forward under any new restrictions on player salaries that may be in place.

What are the team’s biggest weaknesses? Once again the likelihood of Anthony being traded nullifies my initial answer of health and age and thus I must say uncertainty. The Nuggets were amongst the sorriest teams in the league between 1990 and 2003. While Denver has the opportunity to make a relatively quick turnaround, there is always the chance they could plummet into the abyss of malfeasance. A great deal of the Nuggets’ future prospects hinges on what they can acquire for Carmelo. If the answer is Derrick Favors, two first round picks and expiring contracts, I like their chances to rebuild quickly. If it is Danilo Gallinari, Eddy Curry and the first round pick behind door number two the outlook is considerably murkier.

What are the goals of this team? I believe there are conflicting goals amongst the management of the Nuggets. George Karl wants to win Carmelo back and convince him Denver is the place to be if he wants to win. Bret Bearup has reportedly been keen on trading Carmelo even prior to this summer. Josh Kroenke probably wants to avoid seeing Denver’s streak of seven consecutive playoff appearances cease in his first season at the helm. Coming to Denver from Toronto Ujiri probably wants to make sure they do not lose Carmelo for a trade exception and a draft pick or two as the Raptors did with Chris Bosh.

While it is painful to admit trading Carmelo is in Denver’s best long term interests with the return of Karl to the bench and Chauncey getting up there in years, the Nuggets primary goal should be to get the best deal possible that jettisons Carmelo from Denver.

How good could the Denver Nuggets be as currently constructed in 2010-11? It would have been very interesting to see if the Nuggets could have recaptured some of the magic that propelled them to the 2009 Western Conference Finals. Denver could very well choose to hang onto Melo and play out the season. Under that scenario, could they challenge the Los Angeles Lakers as they did two springs ago? Al Harrington provides some offensive punch and can fill in at power forward while Kenyon Martin recovers from his latest surgical procedure. Chauncey Billups has worn down late over the previous two seasons, but with Ty Lawson set to improve after a very solid rookie season, the Nuggets can afford to limit Chauncey’s minutes a little more this season. Arron Afflalo is in the process of turning into their Bruce Bowen without the dirty tactics as he has shown some tremendous defensive ability while proving to be a threat from behind the arc. Nene is in a position to build off of two solid seasons and Chris Andersen will hopefully be at full strength again after undergoing knee surgery of his own. J.R. Smith had a nightmare season and while his shot selection leaves so much to be desired, it seems nearly impossible that he will shoot a mere 33.8% from behind the arc again.

If Denver remains together as currently constructed, they would all know it was their last run together. To top things off George Karl is entering the final season of his contract. The players could treat it as one final shot at winning together, or they could fall apart under the weight of their collective unknown futures. Sadly, things do not look good on that front with Kenyon Martin already proclaiming he would be back on the court had he been offered a contract extension. Even so, under that scenario, I see no reason why Denver could not be as dangerous as any team in the west in a seven game series.

Sadly, I doubt we will ever know what this team could have accomplished.

Projected Record: 40-42 – Denver’s record is impossible to predict right now as it is all based on when Carmelo is traded and for what. At this point I expect him to be on the team past December 15 when the latest crop of free agents can be traded and that means the Nuggets would win a few games prior to his departure.

]]>http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/05/a-pre-season-season-preview/feed/15More Previewshttp://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/04/more-previews/
http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2010/10/04/more-previews/#commentsMon, 04 Oct 2010 07:09:02 +0000http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/?p=1722Here are the latest two rounds of team previews from the massive free for all that is organized by Celtics Blog every fall.

As you all know in addition to running RMC I have a “real” job. Currently my job is encroaching on my free time and I have not been able to post nearly as much as I had wanted too lately and I am sorry for that. However, I will do my best to keep everything here relevant and informative.

In addition to the TrueHoop Network preview I also took part in the Basketball Prospectus season preview. It may cost a few bucks, but the content is well worth it. Kevin Pelton and his crew do great work and I was honored to be a small part of what they put together.

“The Hawks have not built, nor do they appear to be building, a championship contender. … Joe Johnson is poised to be a free agent in the summer of 2010. Johnson is not a franchise player, yet he’s the Hawks’ best player.”

36

“During the offseason, the Bulls lost free agent Ben Gordon, whom many people considered the team’s best or second-best player (after Derrick Rose). Memo to Chicago fans: Don’t sweat it. Seriously. Gordon will be replaced by John Salmons, who not only gave the Bulls almost as many points per game (18.3 versus 20.7) but was slightly more efficient in how he scored them.”

43

“After last season’s playoff heartbreak, Danny Ferry has changed up the equation … However, Shaq could disrupt the delicate offensive and defensive chemistry the Cavaliers rode to 66 wins and the conference finals, despite the fact he will be the best player LeBron has ever played with if he continues to play like he did last season. The big question for the Cavs this seasons whether they overreacted to two clutch 3s by Rashard Lewis, or made the risk they needed to take to finally get LeBron a ring.”

61

“’Rebuilding’ teams seek financial flexibility and the acquisition of young, productive assets. Quality squads amass veteran talent, no matter the cost, in pursuit of a title. Defying all logic, the Mavs have simultaneously moved in both directions.”

50

“The only players still on the roster who exceeded expectations in 2008-09 were Nene and Birdman. It is reasonable to expect every member of the Nuggets, other than thirty-something Chauncey Billups, to improve.”

53

“However the minutes shake out between Chris Wilcox, Kwame Brown and Ben Wallace, they won’t be as good as Rasheed Wallace. But Sheed wasn’t that great last year. He looked old and disinterested, so the drop here won’t be too steep.”

36

“Under the ownership of Chris Cohan, the Warriors have made the playoffs exactly one time and have gone through numerous coaches, players and executives. Going into this season, Larry Riley is the man in charge taking over for Chris Mullin.”

28

“The speed revolution has overtaken some of basketball’s peers, most notably football … Is basketball headed in the same direction? [Aaron] Brooks provides an excellent case study. Beginning the year as the Rockets number one threat on offense with Ron Artest’s departure and injuries to Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming, Brooks will have every opportunity to prove that size really doesn’t matter.”

32

“[Blake] Griffin and [Eric] Gordon may not be saviors, but they’re something. Griffin’s skills and his tenacious work ethic (the guy runs up sand dunes in his free time) will be a boon to a team desperate for cultural overhaul. Gordon offers an enticing combination of spot-up shooting and forays into the paint. He finished third in true shooting percentage among starting off guards in his rookie campaign, something that can only help a team that ranked dead last in offensive efficiency last season.”

32

64

“The 2009-10 version of the Grizzlies have put together a starting five where every player scored 30 points or more in a game last year. The oldest starter is only 28 years old (Zach Randolph) and the youngest won’t turn 22 until after the start of the season (O.J. Mayo). They are young, talented and hungry for success. So why do most people focus on the two players not on a rookie contract this season?”

44

“If the Bucks get anything out of their three small forwards, if they can keep [Andrew] Bogut and [Michael] Redd healthy and if they get a season worthy of the number ten selection out of Brandon Jennings at the point, the playoffs will be within reach. But that’s a lot of ifs.”

29

“”Ever since his arrival, David Kahn has had seemingly one mission, other than to look like the smartest guy in the room at every turn, and that is to get as much cap space for next summer as he possibly can. … The obvious question lies in whether or not the Wolves will actually be able to lure one of the better free agent players to come to Minnesota.”

34

“Take away either Hedo Turkoglu or Courtney Lee and the Magic aren’t getting to face the Lakers in the Finals. No way. But does that mean the Magic were wrong to let them go? Were the Magic foolish to allow a borderline All-Star and a possible future All-Star leave the team when both clearly wanted to stay in Orlando? Absolutely not. I believe the Magic are an entirely better team than they were four months ago.”

59

“The travesty of a deal that Billy King gave to Samuel Dalembert remains easily one of the worst contracts in NBA history. Hopefully this season Dalembert, his inflated self-worth and his contract will be dealt for a couple of expiring contracts and some much-needed cap space.”

39

“Two years ago the Suns were chic championship picks. Last year, the Suns were (accurately) thought to be a fringe playoff team. This year there are almost no expectations outside of their locker room. … There will be no mistaking what the Suns are this season: a lightning-speed team that will score points in bunches and likely give them up almost as quickly while struggling badly on the boards. But they will once again be the most exciting team in basketball.”

46

“The Blazers effectively bumbled their way to a 54-win season despite a mediocre performance from Greg Oden, the loss of Martell Webster for the season, and at times starting three rookies. This team is only getting better, kids.”

53

“Enter Tyreke Evans — a bulldozer-sized menace who will test the strength of every team’s defense at its entry point. He immediately creates matchup problems against teams with traditional point guards and will look to have a similar impact as fellow Memphis alum, Derrick Rose.”

22

During the Celtics heyday, Red Auerbach boasted a winning percentage of .719. In the modern era, Pat Riley’s Showtime Lakers played to the tune of .733. Phil Jackson’s Jordan Bulls dominated the 90s with an otherworldly percentage of .771. Jackson’s three-peat Lakers? .735. In his 12 seasons with San Antonio, Gregg Popovich, whose cynical disdain for the regular season runs more than skin deep, has, nevertheless, posted a winning percentage of .707. That’s the company the Spurs keep. What should we expect this season? 58 wins and a run at the title. Same as every other year.”

55

41

“With young Wesley Matthews providing the good luck charm, Boozer in a contract year, Deron Williams with a chip on his shoulder, and a new longer-haired version of Andrei Kirilenko the Jazz have no reason to be anything other than beastly this season. And I mean that in a good way. Every prediction from the Jazz camp, however, comes with the ominous caveat ‘If we can stay healthy.'”

46

“Flip Saunders has never gotten a team ‘there.’ That worn out cliché always runs rampant, plaguing almost every coach who hasn’t won … until they win. Red Auerbach (647), Larry Brown (1,900), and Dick Motta (738) all took their lumps before winning a championship (games coached before title season). Don’t be surprised when what you think is impossible becomes a reality. … 2010 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger. Factor in Gilbert Arenas’ stomach tattoo and the fact that the Wizards play their home games in D.C.’s Chinatown, and all the cards are in place.”

42

* As predicted by a consensus of all TrueHoop Network bloggers.

]]>http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2009/10/27/complete-truehoop-2009-10-team-previews/feed/02009-10 Denver Nuggets Preview – TrueHoop Network Stylehttp://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2009/10/25/2009-10-denver-nuggets-preview-truehoop-network-style/
http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2009/10/25/2009-10-denver-nuggets-preview-truehoop-network-style/#commentsMon, 26 Oct 2009 05:50:08 +0000http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/?p=1254Every TrueHoop Network member site will be posting their season preview today so make sure you check out as many as humanly possible either via the the drop down menu up above or the blogroll along the right sidebar.

Last Year’s Record: 54-28

Crystal Ball
The consensus prediction of the TrueHoop Network bloggers … and the best hopes of Roundball Mining Company.

Crowd Says: 53-29RMC Says: 58-24

Yes We Can!The sun is out. The seas have parted. The basketball gods are shining upon us!

It is easy to be down on the Denver Nuggets’ chances heading into the 2009-10 season. Their response to this summer’s Western Conference arms race was to continue to slash their payroll.

Some of you may think the Nuggets were disappointed that Linas Kleiza will play in Greece next season, but I suspect the front office was sending Linas bro­chures from the Greek department of tourism. Then again maybe it was the fact they never offered him more than the $2.7 million qualifying offer. Whatever they did, the ploy worked, as Kleiza signed with Olympiacos and will not be on the Nuggets’ payroll this season.

The Nuggets also were thrilled for Dahntay Jones when he signed his four year, $11 million contract with the Pacers. I think Mark Warkentien showed up the next day and personally carried Dahntay’s piano into the moving truck.

It might be difficult to be impressed with a team whose primary goal is to save money, but the Denver Nuggets are becoming quite adept at bolstering the roster while cutting costs. Last season they rummaged through the bargain bin and came up with Chris “Birdzilla” Andersen and Dahntay Jones. This year they brought in more cheap talent in Aaron Afflalo and Joey Graham. They are both cheaper options and better fits than Jones and Kleiza were. Plus the addition of Ty Lawson to backup Chaunc­ey Billups will pay dividends as soon as George Karl chooses to give him the job over Anthony Carter. Above and beyond the players currently on the roster and even though it appears the Nuggets have passed him over, until he signs with another team I continue to think that Wally Szczerbiak might find his way to Denver.

If the upgrade to the bench is not enough to sway you, here is an interesting little fact to keep in mind. The only players still on the roster who exceeded expecta­tions in 2008-09 were Nene and Birdman. It is reasonable to expect every mem­ber of the Nuggets, other than thirtysomething Chauncey Billups, to improve on their performance next season. Carmelo struggled with injuries, Nene was still feeling the effects of his chemo treatments in the fall of 2008, Birdman had not played regular minutes in over two years before last season and J.R. Smith is still learning how to exploit opposing defenses with his array of diverse talents.

For those who still doubt me, hear this. The number one reason why Denver will be better next season is they have learned how to win. The team made a commitment to play better defense heading into last season, but they were still a work in progress. They now have a year of playing a more balanced style of basketball under their belts and they experienced how far it can take them.

This Nugget team is hungry and ready to prove their Western Conference Finals appearance was not a fluke like Utah’s was in 2008. Common NBA knowledge dismissed the Nuggets prior to last season. Do so at your own peril this season.

No You Can’tA rousing dissent from a rival blogger.

Fun fact: No team has ever won a championship while featuring a power forward with a woman’s lips tattooed on his neck. Yes, I’m looking at you, Kenyon Martin.

On the RecordSingle best quote concerning the team during the last 12 months.

For me averaging 28 points or something like that against the Lakers in this series, that’s tough to do. I do not know if you wanted me to average 30 or 35, I really don’t know. I am thinking there is nothing else that I can do.

– Carmelo Anthony following the Nuggets’ Game 6 defeat to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals

The PlayDown a single point with 9.2 seconds to play in a must-win game. What’s the play?

Even with players like Mr. Big Shot Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith, who can make any shot at any time, you give the ball to Carmelo Anthony and clear out. I might even run seven more seconds off the clock and call a timeout just to increase the level of difficulty. Carmelo has developed a well-earned reputation in the NBA as a Defiler of Dreams. He broke hearts in Oklahoma City twice last season and I am sure you all remember the 3-pointer in the playoffs to beat Dal­las in Game 3 of the conference semifinals. Having Melo means you never have to run a play, just get the ball inbounds.

The People’s ChoiceThe fan favorite the crowd will be chanting for to see some action.

Karl has said he does not trust Renaldo Balkman because he cannot hit a jumper — although Karl does not seem to mind playing Kenyon Martin. The truth is Balkman brings energy and makes plays that do not show up in the box score. He helps Denver win games and fans cannot get enough of him.

If You’re Watching the Bottom Line, You’re WatchingThisThe single biggest spreadsheet issue hanging over the team.

The Denver Nuggets have done a great job of cutting payroll while still improv­ing the team the past two seasons. The real trouble is going to come in 2010-11 when the Nuggets’ current starting five will make about $65 million. As John Hollinger has pointed out, those five players may put Denver over the luxury tax line by themselves with at least eight more players to pay. There could be a fire sale in Denver next summer.

]]>http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2009/10/25/2009-10-denver-nuggets-preview-truehoop-network-style/feed/6Upcoming Chat and Other Denver Nuggets Linkshttp://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2009/10/15/upcoming-chat-and-other-denver-nuggets-links/
http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/2009/10/15/upcoming-chat-and-other-denver-nuggets-links/#commentsFri, 16 Oct 2009 04:21:30 +0000http://www.roundballminingcompany.com/?p=1241There is quite a bit of writing I need to do before the regular season starts, but for now, just a few links.

Big Time Nuggets Chat

The big announcement is that I will be participating in a Denver Nuggets chat tomorrow along with John Hollinger on ESPN.com.Things kick off at 12:00 noon on Friday, but you can check in a few minutes early to start pumping in questions.Out of all the ESPN analysts we are very lucky to have Professor Hollinger involved.As I have said before, he is the most knowledgeable member of the national media when it comes to the Nuggets.

Melo and Kevin Durant

There has been some interesting discussion on TrueHoop regarding how incredible Kevin Durant is, yet how terrible his plus/minus numbers are.The post points out how he was number 20 in the league in PER in 2008-09 and has scored the fifth most points of any player at his age.He is clearly an incredible talent, so how come he has such a terrible plus/minus and his teammates post better plus/minus ratings when they play without him?

Apparently there is a player who started very similarly to Durant, but has improved drastically over the years.None other than Carmelo Anthony.Timothy Varner has the low down over at the exceptional San Antonio Spurs blog 48 Minutes of Hell.

Melo on E:60

Carmelo will be interviewed on ESPN’s award winning primetime newsmagazine E:60.Here is a little snippet to wet your appetite.

The episode will air at 5:00 PM Mountain on Tuesday, October 20.

A Couple of Nuggets Previews

Nate from Denver Stiffs and I answered some questions about the Nuggets from Mark Rawden from the Boston Celtics Examiner. If that is not enough you can click here for a Nuggets preview on Hoopsvine.